Lawyers against using contempt law to suppress criticism
Staff Correspondent
To establish the rule of law, the contempt law should be applied against the government for defaming court, and not to suppress movement and criticism, said leaders of the Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad yesterday.Loyalty to a particular party is now considered eligibility for becoming a Supreme Court judge that tarnishes its image, the leaders told a press conference at Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) auditorium. The government is appointing disputed persons as judges, ignoring honest, efficient and neutral ones, they alleged. They demanded recruitment of judges through constitutional commission and judicial service commission, if need be, by amending the constitution. The Parishad demanded formation of a constitutional commission with authority to 'suspend politically partisan judges'. Influence of the government should be removed from the Bangladesh Bar Council, it said. The leaders slammed the extra-judicial killing by the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and demanded probe into it and punishment of persons responsible. "Rule of law and the judiciary become vulnerable if legal rights of the lawyers are violated. Freedom of judiciary is not possible without the freedom of lawyers' profession," said Convenor of the Parishad Barrister M Amirul Islam while reading out a resolution. The Parishad has announced to form a human chain on June 29 in the city, observe Justice Day on July 6 and hold a grand rally on July 29. Former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru, SCBA President Mahbubey Alam and SCBA Secretary Enayetur Rahim, among others, were present.
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